Clarification
by dry-shampoo
Summary: Rufus and Wyatt were standing in the doorway. Lucy panicked; they weren't supposed to be here. #Week 9 prompt from Tumblr.


Making plans in their line of work was always risky, which was why Lucy was relieved when their debriefing with Agent Christopher was so short. Emma had led them on another wild goose chase and as such, the three of them didn't have anything to report. Lucy was out of the conference room and dashing through the halls before Agent Christopher could finish saying, "You're free to go." She had no doubt this had caught the attention of everyone but she didn't have time to worry about the questions they could have; she had forty-five minutes to shower, change, maybe put some concealer under her eyes to hide the fatigue that had taken up residence there, and get to a bar that was twenty minutes away. She was at her locker- making record time- gathering her phone (and even though she was in a rush she still made sure to check her phone to see if she still had the same contacts as before she left), her jewellery, her keys, and her purse, when Wyatt appeared behind her with an amused, "Where's the fire?"

Startled, she turned to him, one hand placed over her rapidly beating her heart. "Don't do that."

"Sorry. But seriously, Lucy, what's the hurry?"

"I just want to get home," she lied.

"You hate your new apartment," Wyatt reminded her, not believing her lie for a second. Lucy had found bringing herself to lie much easier but she still sucked at being convincing, especially where he was concerned.

"That is true, "she agreed. "But it has a bed and I'm tired. Goodnight, Wyatt." She squeezed his arm as she walked past him, up the stairs and out into the parking lot. As she drove, she listened to the news, another habit she had gotten into when she got back from trips. She was both relieved and frustrated when she learned that everything was the same as it had been before they left. She arrived at the bar with two minutes to spare. She had been to this bar before with Wyatt and Rufus, but it had only been once when their usual haunt was closed because of a burst pipe. The chances of them showing up here were slim. It was also convenient for who she was meeting.

She scanned the room and spotted him at a booth over to the side. Luke Evans, brother of her college best friend, top of his criminology class, and now a Special Agent with the FBI. She slid into the booth and sat across the table from him. "Hi, "she greeted awkwardly. She wasn't sure how what pattern information exchanges were meant to follow. Plus, she didn't know what to expect as he had refused to say much over the phone, for obvious reasons.

"It's been over ten years and all you have for me is 'hi?" he asked, feigning incredulity.

"It's good to see you?"

Luke laughed and Lucy let out a relieved breath. "I'm just joking with you, "he assured. "So, are you going to tell me why you asked me to track down your mom instead of filing a missing person's report?"

The reason she had gone to Luke, wasn't because she didn't trust the Homeland Security agents tasked with tracking down the Rittenhouse members, but after Emma stole the Mothership, their resources had been diverted and they had become more focused on arresting the Rittenhouse members they didn't have to launch a manhunt for.

"It's better if you don't know, "she told him and waited for him to challenge her. When he didn't she continued, "Did you find her?"

"No," he stated before elaborating, "but I can tell you she hasn't left the country and there is nothing to indicate she has left the state either."

Lucy nodded. It was the result she had been expecting. If her mother really was as powerful member of Rittenhouse as she said she was, then she would have the resources to stay hidden, or to leave the country without being detected. "I'm sorry I don't have more."

"Don't be ridiculous. You didn't have to do this in the first place."

"Well, what's a little unsanctioned investigation between friends, huh?" Luke joked. Lucy laughed and a silence fell over them; a silence that Lucy was going to break by asking what it was like to work for the FBI when someone waved at her.

It was Rufus.

Rufus and Wyatt were standing in the doorway. Lucy panicked; they weren't supposed to be here. "Are you ok?" Luke asked her. Rufus looked confused and turned to ask Wyatt something that Lucy couldn't hear. Wyatt looked hurt. He answered Rufus's question and then walked out.

Lucy thanked him again, excused herself, and went after Wyatt, throwing an _apologetic/ pray for me_ look at Rufus as she passed him. When she spotted him on the sidewalk, Wyatt was unsuccessfully hailing a cab. She approached him, uncertain of what to say. She knew what it must have looked like to him.

"If you had a date, you could have just told me, "he said. She should have told him the truth, that much she had known when she had lied to him in the locker room. What she was having trouble with was his annoyance at the idea of her being on a date. They had been a clear change in their relationship since Arkansas, it had all but been confirmed by his words to her when they had returned from the fifties, but Mason, it seemed, hadn't just killed the moment, he had killed whatever courage the both of them had had that day to get so close to admitting what they felt for the other. She was getting tired of dancing round the issue. She was tired of moments like this. She looked around before grabbing his wrist that wasn't attached to the hand trying to wave down taxis and pulled him into the alley beside the bar.

"I wasn't on a date. I was meeting with an FBI agent who I asked to look into my mom's disappearance."

Wyatt stared at her like she had revealed she was one- hundred years old. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and tried again but all he could manage was, "You were what?"

"Meeting with an FBI agent who I asked, "she began to repeat but Wyatt stopped her. He had heard her perfectly clear the first time.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I should have told you. But I didn't want to say anything because I knew it would be a dead end. But, Wyatt, the way you just spoke to me, the tone of your voice, it's indicative of something," she said tentatively. "It's been almost five months since Mason interrupted us and I hate this not knowing of where I stand with you."

"Lucy, I-"he tried to interject but she kept talking.

"And I know you have a lot of stuff to work through and the last thing I want to do is to pressure you into a situation you're not comfortable in but it just seems like whenever I feel like we've taken a step forward we end up taking two back. And I just, well I guess I just want to say-

"You don't have to, "he reassured her.

"One of us probably should."

Wyatt moved towards her and kept moving until her back pressed against the wall. He placed his hands on her waist and for a moment he just held her there and looked at her, as if he were seeing her for the first time. Then, he kissed her. He was gentle and the kiss was slow, both enjoying how the other's lips felt against theirs. The kiss deepened (she wasn't sure who deepened it) but it remained slow, remained an exploration. When they both pulled back for air, they kept their faces close and she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Clear, "he asked her. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak in case she ruined it. He kissed her again and even though they were in a dark alley, and the wall was uncomfortable against her back, she was convinced she could have stayed there all night.

"Uh, guys, are you out here?"

Wyatt released her, and grumbled, "First Mason, now Rufus."

Lucy laughed at his grousing. "C'mon. We did leave him on his own." She took his hand to lead him out of alley. He used this as leverage to pull her against him and kissed her again. "Now are you good," she asked faking exasperation.

"Oh yeah," he answered. "I'm good."

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading guys. Lemme know what you guys think!


End file.
